


My Sister’s Keeper

by Legendary5



Category: Zombies Run!
Genre: Aftermath of S8M11, Angst, Depressed Runner 5, F/M, Kissing (kind of), Mentions of head injury, S8M9-11, Season 8 Spoilers, Zrs8 spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:01:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23550472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Legendary5/pseuds/Legendary5
Summary: Five feels left out after Sam finds out who’s living on Dearg Island. Spoilers for S8M9-11.
Relationships: Alice Dempsey/Sam Yao, Runner Five/Sam Yao
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	My Sister’s Keeper

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize in advance; this was written last night after I got in from a run, and hasn’t really been edited. 
> 
> Special thanks to zrtranscrips.tumblr.com for having the transcribed missions available. They have been a great help!
> 
> Zombies, Run!, is not mine.

My Sister’s Keeper

* * *

  
  


_… If I could go with you, I would. You’re wearing my sister’s jumper._

_You’re wearing my sister’s jumper._

_My sister’s jumper…_

“Five. We’re here. Need a hand?”

Five jumped at the sound of Tom’s voice, quickly collecting herself as they climbed out of the boat. Her mind was reeling; the revelation of Francis’ presence on Dearg had emotionally slapped Five across the face. She barely registered the walk back to the cottage, or handing over the small bottle of medicine to Janine and Paula; Tom did all the talking while Five stayed lost in her thoughts. No one said anything; Five hadn’t been much of a talker since Ellie had been shot.

After Janine dismissed them, Five returned to her bed in the cottage, changing out of her wet things and getting ready to turn in.

_My sister’s jumper…._

She had never met Alice Dempsey, unless you were to count the time her zombified remains had chased Five from the hospital near Abel to the front gates of the township when she had first arrived. For weeks afterward, Five had dreamed about her decaying face, the rattling moans that had issued from her mouth, the feel of Alice’s fingers as they tore at her clothes….

_Oh God… it’s her. I can see her… it’s Alice…._

And Sam had been so heartbroken when he’d seen Alice again. She still remembered the weeks after she had first come to Abel, how Sam had avoided her, and avoided using her new number designation. But the hardest part hadn’t been those weeks of training, but weeks later, when Sam had feared her lost.

_Another runner gone…._

He had told her that she had been his fourth Runner Five. She had known that a runner’s job was dangerous; there were days when people would go out, and they never came back alive, their reanimated corpses showing up at the gates a week or so later. In Five’s mind, it was a miracle that she had survived so long when so many others had perished.

A knock on the door made her jump.

“Five, you okay? You look like… you’re not really here.”

Five looked over at Sam, smiling. “I’m okay, Sam,” she said. “Just thinking.”

“About what?” She could see concern in his eyes. She could see he cared for her, but she knew she would never truly have his heart. Not like Alice did. They had been really important to each other, like Sam had said. Something she would never have with him, especially now, with Frances apparently trapped in some lab on an island with no other civilization.

“Jones. He’s hiding out on another island not far from here. I think I’m going to go with Tom and Janine when they go investigate.” It was the best excuse she could give him. Five hated lying to Sam, but right now she couldn’t find it in her to talk to him.

“Jodie said she could go.” Sam insisted, taking Five’s hand in his. It was so warm compared to her’s. “You should rest, Five; you’ve had a few busy days recently.”

“I really want to see this through,” Five admitted, squeezing his hand slightly before letting it go. “You know me, Sam. I don’t like to half-ass stuff like this.”

He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I know.” He chuckled briefly before letting out a long, slow sigh. “Listen, come find me, if you need to talk. I know you came after Alice…” he paused, not meeting her eyes. “After she… left Abel, but I thought you’d… y’know, if you wanted someone to talk to about…”

“My first day at Abel?” Five ventured. Sam nodded.

“Yeah… you can talk to me about it…just letting you know.”

She forced a smile, nodding quickly. “When we get back, I will come find you.” Five replied.

….

The following morning found Five with Janine, Tom, Paula and Mor Island resident Morag Brown, combing Niomh Island for Jones. Five was enjoying the chance to focus on something else; since coming to Abel, Five had felt that she had fit into the community, and for the most part, she had. Her helicopter crash landing, and Mullens’ decision to let her stay had been a blessing to her. Before Abel, Five had been a cog in a machine, just one more civilian mouth to feed. Abel had felt more like home than anywhere else in the apocalypse.

Now, she was in the heart of a community, helping people and making something of herself. But hearing Sam and Jodie talk about Alice made Five realize that she wasn’t the first. She was comforted that she wasn’t the only one who hadn’t known Alice; Paula and Tom had come to Abel long after Alice’s death, and Janine even admitted that she hadn’t been as connected to her runners until after Five had arrived at Abel.

But all of Five’s priorities shifted, and Alice became the last thing on her mind; while escaping dormant zombies as they awakened, Five and Tom fell from the rooftops of the town on Niomh, and landed in the midst of the horde.

“They’re everywhere!” Tom shouted, looking past Five. “Five, don’t let the one in the bobble hat touch you. For God’s sakes keep moving!”

Five didn’t need to be told twice, and took off down the street, Tom alongside her. Another pack of zombies bared down on them, scattering from an abandoned pub like the remnants of a group of football fans.

“Janine, there are zombies right in front of us; they look… gleeful.”

There was no other way to describe these zombies in Five’s mind; their rotted, moldy faces almost seemed to be smiling as they lurched toward Five and Tom. This time, Tom grabbed Five’s hand and they bolted up the street.

….

Minutes later, with a blood stained, tweed wearing mannequin in hand before them, Five and Tom were racing down the street towards Hetters Point, zombies trailing behind them. The mannequin worked, but not for long enough it seemed; as Tom and Five reached Hetters Point, the zombies were gaining speed.

It was when Five prepared to jump that she felt cold, clammy hands gripping at her jumper, her jacket. A zombie girl, no older than fifteen, was snarling at Five, pulling her down.

Five yelped, put on a burst of speed as she leapt off the cliff…

The zombie still clung to her jacket, but was knocked away when Five hit the cliff wall; the head cracked open, grey brain matter littering the rocks as the corpse was flung aside. Five gasped in pain, her own head connecting with the cliff wall as she fell into the sea. Immediately her lungs began to fill with seawater. Up was down, and down was up; Five struggled to swim, but her head was pounding, her lungs were screaming, and she was falling….

**_You’re not my second Runner Five…._ **

_You’re wearing my sister’s jumper…._

**_Another runner gone…._ **

_If I could go with you, I would….._

**_You’re my fourth…._ **

“Five… Five!”

Suddenly, Five was on the surface, gasping for air and coughing up seawater.

“Look! Five, I’ve got you. Grab the oar. Here! Let me help you into the boat.”

Tom had pulled Five out of the water, and was handing her an oar; a second later, Five was in the boat, coughing and retching seawater. She was dimly aware of Paula’s hands feeling the back of her head. Overhead, Morag was recounting the image of the zombie that had grabbed Five.

“You’ve got a laceration and you’ll end up with a nasty bruise,” Paula murmured, probing at Five’s head. “But you’ll be alright.” Paula helped Five into a more comfortable position. “We thought we’d lost you.”

“We’ve lost too many people on these islands already, Five,” Janine continued, looking relieved. “I’m — I’m glad to see you well. We will need all your strength.”

….

“FIVE!”

Sam’s voice rang through the small cottage as the young man bolted into the room Five shared with Jodie. Five greeted him with a small smile.

“Hey Sam,” she murmured. “You okay?”

“More worried about you; Morag Brown said you hit your head and nearly drowned!” Sam gingerly settled himself on the bed next to Five, pulling nervously at he blanket. “You okay?”

“Just a bump on the head,” Five replied. “Paula wants me to stay in bed and stay awake for a bit, in case it’s a concussion, but I’m not too worried.”

“Five…” Sam interjected.

“It’s nothing, Sam —” She began.

“ _Five…_ ”

“What did Maxie have to say?” Five asked, changing the subject.

“ ** _Five…_** ”

“…Paula figured you would be talking about Alice,” she admitted.

“We did talk about Alice,” Sam admitted, looking up from the blanket. “But we also talked about you,” he added sheepishly.

“Me?”

Sam nodded. “Alice… did a lot while she was at Abel. She was kind, and helpful, and I’ll always remember that… but you, Five, you’ve… I mean, how many times have you saved our lives? Saved the world!? You’re the person people think of when they mention Runner Five. You’re kind, and helpful… also brave, and enduring. Not to mention I owe you my life at least three times over.”

Five blushed, unable to speak.

Then, Sam leaned over, and planted a kiss on Five’s cheek. “Promise me that you’re not going to leave me before this adventure ends?” Sam asked, pulling away slightly to look into Five’s eyes. “Because I don’t want to lose you, after everything we’ve been through. I want you here…. Until the end.”

“Until the end,” Five promised.


End file.
